new member has ??? re staying at WDW hotels on points

[Simba's Mom]

Has anyone stayed at AKL on points? Since DVC only lists one room-type, what type of room do you get-standard, pool, or savannah view? How about at Dxl (Oops, mean POR)-water or standard view? And is there any way to compare the cost of using points vs. cash cost? We were planning to stay at VWL (our new "home"), then AKL for a day or two. Now there are cash discounts at AKL and we have no idea how to figure out whether we'd be better off staying at AKL on points, or just making a regular ressie like the "old days". Please bear with me-new member constantly thinking of more questions.

 

[PamOKW]

They have changed the WDW resort program beginning with 2002. The AKL has 5 different levels to choose from with different point amounts. They are: Vater or Pool View; Savannah View; Deluxe Water or Pool View; Deluxe Savannah View and Concierge. The number of points are different by view. The seasons are the same as the WDW resorts, rather than the DVC seasons.

Staying on points at the resorts is always more expensive than staying at a DVC resort. With the many discounts currently available at WDW it is worth deciding whether you want to use points or cash. The purpose of being able to use points at WDW hotels is to give us some variety and not to feel we are "missing out" on any of the deluxe hotels.

If you have a time period and/or view you are interested in, I could give you an idea of the points you'd need.

Just saw you are also considering PO -- the moderates on points are almost always a bad deal. They have also broken the moderates into Standard View and Water View with different point requirements. The "cheapest" season with standard view would run 18 points per night for weekdays and 32 points for Fri-Sat. This is more than studio at any DVC resort....doesn't make sense to use points unless you have them to burn. As a cost estimate, you can figure out how much your points are "costing" you or use a rough estimate of $10 per point being what you might be able to "get" for them. In that case, you'd be paying $180 a night for PO.

 

[Cinderella]

Hi, I haven't stayed in a WDW hotel on points but, I have stayed in Disneyland Paris using them.

They put up the amount of points needed to stay in WDW hotels by quite a large amount this year. But, I did notice that you can choose different views - for different amounts of points. Do you have the yellow booklet with the chart? If not I will hunt mine out and post the amount of points needed here.

Different people have different ways of working out points needed. Obviously it is more economical to stay in DVC accommodation but, it is still cheaper to use points and be a DVC member than to pay cash in the hotels, unless you can get a great deal. I would not do it often but, I think I would be tempted to use points for a couple of nights in an AKL Savannah view sometime. The way I see it is that after your first five or six years, your membership is only costing what you pay in dues - so I would divide the amount of your annual dues by the cost of points per night to work out what you are paying. Mind you I am not very mathematical and I know some people will give you some more complex calculations.

 

[SnowWitch]

I was considering using points for a one night stay at the AKL in Dec before checking into the BWV. Then I looked at the point chart, I think it was like 78 points for a Sat night!!! Using the $10 rental per point thats $780 for ONE NIGHT!!! I will be paying cash.

 

[Cinderella]

Wow - those one night AKL points would pay half the cost of our flights from the UK to MCO and there are four of us travelling!